


Sunshine through hospital windows

by HolyEmpress



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Hôpital, M/M, Self-Indulgent, blood mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 02:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9694892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolyEmpress/pseuds/HolyEmpress
Summary: Post-graduation.Eichi's dying, but Wataru's dying to make him happy too.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Extremely self-indulgent Eiwatas, I think about Wataru's adopted family a lot, and I think Eichi deserves nice things too.

 

He sighed, then coughed, and sighed some more.

Graduation was supposed to be a new beginning, a scary jump unto the unknown, but this situation was more than familiar. Spring had come, and he'd found himself unable to move from his hospital bed as his former comrades were taking off to a brighter world ; one were they didn't have to bear the tyranny of a silly Emperor, and could be free to bloom to the fullest of their potential. It was fine by him – his youth was over, and he'd enjoyed it fully, exalted, crying and laughing on top of the world as long as he'd managed to, and now the inevitable crash was coming. His next cough lets out a little bit of blood. He pulls on the cord dedicated to calling nurses and turns to lay on the side facing the window. The sight of blossoming trees reminded him of his tea club adventures, back when they would picnic in the gardens. The sweets Ritsu was probably still making somewhere, and Hajime's company – he missed it.

The nurse comes. She seems disappointed in him, and goes back with a new IV to insert into his arm. He winces, bracing himself for the sting and the numbing sensation of painkillers, that didn't do much but make the horror of his diseases slightly less apparent, but not easier to withstand. It was like make-up on an ugly face, and he felt monstruous, spitting more blood into the recipient the nurse had brought for him.

\- Your visitor is here, she warns him with an expression of pained sorrow. Should I... ?

\- Let him in ? Absolutly, he answers with a forced smile, wiping the red liquid off the corner of his lips.

 

He tries to make himself look presentable for Wataru. That's why he insisted on wearing very his own silk pajamas and forced his personal hairdresser to come every two weeks. Long ago, back when he wasn't _so_ in love, he was content with his too-long hair and ghostly white skin. It was a costume like any other to signal to the world that he was dying ; as long as he lived, he was content with that fake halo, with the glow of the soon-to-come afterlife illuminating his face like a crude neon, alas, Wataru deserved better, so he tried harder, just for him.

He hears footstep next to his door. His friend had behaved himself since graduation ; mostly because his grand entrances by the window left him shivering in his blankets. He did summon flowers from thin air, only, he'd gotten more used to the concept of _vases,_ as well as the need for an hospital room not to be a mess of scattered flower petals. He couldn't say it out loud, but he was proud of him.

Wataru opens the door – followed by a small red-haired lady.

Though she's firmly holding Wataru's hand, she seems to be in her late fifties, with a few whites strands in her otherwise perfectly tied bun. She's wearing a pretty dress, with a flower pattern, and appeared to be just as surprised as he was.

\- Wataru dear, didn't you tell your friend about me ?

They both give him the most accusing stare they can manage – which prompts a shocked expression on the culprit's face. He jumps back, recovers his composure within the next second, then bows a little.

\- Then, for proper introductions, it is I, your very own Hibiki Wataru…

\- … and his very own mom ! The lady completes joyously.

His mind goes blank. The information was too much to handle on a normal, peaceful afternoon – he coughs some more blood into his recipient, then lifts his head up to look at the happy idiot in front of him and his small, polite, _unexpected_ mom.

Thanksfully, his manners come back to him after a while.

\- I am Eichi Tenshouin… but you must have heard from me, he laughs, trying to hide his physical pain. Wataru, I am most pleased, but why did you bring your mom here ?

\- As you know, I drop by here on my way to the theater, mother asked to visit you before she sees my newest play. I hope I didn't outstep a boundary here, Em.. Eichi.

\- Mother ? Are you playing a part, Wataru ? She interrupts him.

\- Sorry, _mommy,_ he corrects himself with a fond smile.

Needless to say, he's in awe at the spectacle of their little exchange. It's a charming display of love and _amazing_ like none he'd seen before, and if he wasn't so feverish, he would have wanted to hug the two of them, or at least hold them close, because he felt like a teenager again, behind introduced to his dear Wataru's mom. He was excited, too. Maybe he could learn what his Wataru had been like as a child, how he'd taught himself all these wonderful tricks. He wanted the story of his first dove invocation, of his first flowers and the surprises he'd inflicted upon his family by summoning the petal storms he was so used to, and there was the balloon too… he'd always asked himself how he'd come to afford such an expensive mode of transportation, and where the hell he parked it too.

\- Eichi, if I may… you look a little bit red, could it be my mom's charms have worked their way into your heart already ? His friend asks, pulling a tissue out of thin air to wipe some sweat that had made its way onto his forehead.

\- Ah, sorry Wataru, I'm… overwhelmed, he confesses, still smiling in spite of the pain and the atrocious burning sensation in his head.

Wataru's mom seems to notice his difficult efforts, however, and rushes to push his son out of the way with a dramatic gesture that reminds him very much of said son's mannierisms, and puts his hand on his forehead.

\- You're burning, poor Eichi ! Can we call a nurse ? And you're sitting up like this for us… you need to lay down, there, there ! She says, forcefully tucking him in with what could only be called motherly love.

He gives Wataru a look of distress – Wataru smiles back at him as his mom pulls on the cord labelled « nurse ». He'd rarely seen his magician so discreet and calm, peaceful, but maybe that's how he was at home ? Where he had nobody to impress anymore, with the people who accepted their genius of a son for who he was – he suspected he'd had a tough time learning _not_ to perpetually show off in order to validate his existence, but parental love was something magical, or so he'd heard, and the Wataru of now seemed content with their simple company.

The nurse comes back, armed with medical equipement. With little regard for his guests, she sticks a thermometer in his mouth, monitors his tension, looks at the back of his throat – Wataru's mom, he realizes, is scrutinizing her every move with an uncanny level of attention and Wataru himself looks a little pale.

\- Brighten up, Wataru, he declares while the nurse is still scribbling notes on his oh-so-alarming state on paper, we both know I'm gonna die, so you shouldn't worry that much, should you ?

\- I don't see you perishing anytime soon, Eichi, he answers seriously. It may be my foolish resolve to reserve a front row seat for you every night, but I believe you have become an expert in the art of grand escapes as well, haven't you ?

\- I'll come crawling to your play, then, he concludes with a mischevious smile.

\- Young men, Wataru's mom interrupts, behave yourselves.

They both giggle, and the feeling of being a teenager again, a silly highschooler, comes back. He should have met her earlier – he should have lived through these fascinating things earlier, and dedicated his heart to something else than a sparkly stage he'd never be able to stand on ever again. And yet – he couldn't regret his fast paced youth.

His long daydream of a wonderful life.

\- Mr. Tenshouin, you need rest.

\- I don't really… he begins to protest, but gets interrupted immediatly.

\- Who's that, not listening to a medical professional ? Wataru's mom scolds him. Come on, darling, we need to leave him be. Take care, Eichi.

\- But…

She stops herself. The nurse leaves to fetch new material – probably some respiratory aids – and they find themselves alone. He knows they have to go. Two guest at once, for a sick, agonizing patient like him ? It's only fair for them to go, and completly unjustified for him to feel any frustration, but he stares at Wataru and frowns.

His mom catches their wordless exchange.

\- Is it very boring to be in the hopital ? She asks, gently.

\- It's the most horrible thing in the world, he answers with glimmering eyes.

He'd lied a lot in his life, but this was the one thing he couldn't find the strength to hide. His sad, unsightly misery. Even to his bestfriend… _beloved_ 's mom. There was a sense of thrill in telling atrocious truths.

\- I'm gonna die here in my blue pajamas, he declares gingerly. But I'm glad I got to meet you, Mrs. Hibiki. It was a great pleasure.

He knowns he's acting like a spoiled brat again, but it's too tempting, to ruin everything, even if it stings a little when he sees Wataru's expression. His magician is sad and hurt. As always, his selfish behaviour was destroying the things he loved the most. He coughs and Mrs. Hibiki jumps to present him with the clean recipient the nurse had brought, patting his back softly, as if – he'd said none of the terrible things he'd just did.

She caresses his hair and arranges a few straying strands, wipes the sweat off his face again.

\- We all die, young man. It's not supposed to make life less enjoyable.

He laughs and opens his arms. Wataru's mom answer his call and gives him a warm hug, promptly joined by her son, whose long hair is like a veil around them, but it feels just right, to bathe under this filtered light, with this weird little lady and her even weirder child displaying such _amazing love_ for him.

 

He makes them promise to come back. Mrs. Hibiki adds his number into her phone, and Wataru summons his pet dove for politeness's sake. He caresses it and lets them go.

The young theater star and his mom leave, and he puts on his oxygen mask, lets the morphine nurse him to sleep, but his dream is sweet, and he doesn't hear his phone beeping with notifications, but when he wakes up the next day, his notifications are full of pictures of Wataru, adorned with a flower crown and bouquets laying on the stage.

He doesn't cry.

The feeling in his chest is warm like the sun itself.


End file.
